The airline IAG and the hotel chain Meliá Hotels fall sharply on the stock market due to the rebound in Covid-19 cases in the United Kingdom and the discovery of a new variant of the virus in the British country, which represents a new blow for one of the main markets of both companies.
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UK health authorities are closely monitoring a new mutation of the Delta variant of Covid-19 that is causing a increasing number of infections and exceeds by 10% the transmission of the dominant strainaccording to François Balloux, director of the Institute of Genetics at University College London.
It is known by the scientific name of AY.4.2, although some call it “Delta Plus”, and contains mutations that could give the virus survival advantages. Against this backdrop, the UK has reported the largest daily increase in infections in three months.
We recall that IAG is the matrix of Iberia and Vueling in Spain and British Airways y Aer Lingus in the United Kingdom, so its exposure to the British market is very prominent. What’s more, Meliá Hotels it also depends on British tourists in Spain for the occupancy of its hotels.
In this regard, the Government of the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has acknowledged that the data have worsened and has anticipated a difficult winter. “There are signs that hospitalization and death rates are increasing“Johnson’s official spokesman Max Blain told reporters Tuesday.” Clearly, we are closely monitoring the increase in cases, “he added.
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